Dispenser



June 7, 1938; E. M, n sl-:MANN

DISPENSER Filed Oct. 3, 1936 IIA I.,

Patented June 7, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE The present invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing rod-like articles. More particularly the present invention relates to a sanitary rotating drum dispenser for dispensing or vending articles such as toothpicks, cigarettes or the like.

A primary object of the present invention'resides in the provision of a simple, inexpensive dispenser of the above mentioned character.

Another important object of the present invention resides in providing a dispenser for rodlike articles with a partition adapted to support the articles to be dispensed, to retain the articles in a dispensing drum as they are carried to a discharge point and provide a discharge chute for said articles.

A further object of the present invention resides in providing a dispenser of the above mentioned character with means for agitating the articles to align the same with the dispensing drum and supply them to the drum one at a time.

Another object of the present invention resides in providing a dispenser of the above mentioned character with means for preventing jamming of the articles in the dispensing drum.

A further object of the present invention resides in providing a dispenser of the above mentioned character with means to prevent the weight of the articles in the dispenser from effecting the articles at the drum supply opening and also prevent the arching and consequent jamming of the articles at theY supply opening.

A further object of the present invention resides in supporting the dispensing drum of a dispenser of the above mentioned character -on a stud between the opposite threaded ends in such a manner that the stud also serves as the -operating shaft for the drum.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the appended claims and attached drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a dispenser made in accordance with the present ininvention;

Figure 2 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

With continued reference toA the drawing' wherein like reference numerals are used to designate the same parts in the several figures, the numeral II] indicates the dispenser of the present invention in its entirety.

Dispenser IIJ comprises an open ended, tubular sheet metal, body member II, preferably of rectangular shape. The front wall I2 oi member II adjacent its lower end is provided with a rtransverse discharge opening I3 extending the full width of face I2. The opposite side walls I4 and I5 of body member II, at a point above the VVlevel of opening I3, are provided with circular aperl tures IB for a purpose to be hereinafter pointed out.

The lower end of member I I is closed by a cupshaped closure Il which is connected to member II by spot welding as indicated at IB. A rein.- iorcing plate i9 is secured to the center of closure il to strengthen the same in order that dispenser IG may be connected to a suitable base ZI. Base ZI may be of any suitable material but preferably takes the form of a rectangular wooden.block as indicated in the drawing. Dispenser lil is preferably connected to base 2l by a screw 22 which passes freely vthrough suitable apertures 23 and 2d in base 2l and plate I9 and is Ysecured in place by a nut 25 threaded thereon. Reinforcing beads 2S are die-pressed in body II or formed of any suitable metal and welded to body II to impart the desired transverse rigidity to the dispenser.

Anagitator plate 2'! is secured to the inner face of wall I2, adjacent the top of body member II, in any suitable manner. Spot welding, indicated at 28, is preferably utilized to secure plate 2l along flat portion 29 to Wall I2 as shown. Plate 2l below portion 29 is offset at 3! and provided with transverse corrugations 32 for a purpose to be presently described.

A partition member 33 having a vertically eX- tending securing portion 34, a sloping article supporting portion 35, an article guiding portion 3S, a discharge chute 3l and a securing portion 38 is also provided by the present invention. Guiding portion 36, as seen in Figure 2, is of generally circular ccniiguration and is designed to loosely receive a dispensing drum 39.

Drum 39 is generally circular in cross-section and is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots i6 of surcient depth to receive a single article to be dispensed. Walls 4I of slots 4G, as seen in Figure 2, are slightly shorter than walls 42 and the peripheral surface 43 of drum 39 is cut back on a small arc as at 44 to provide a smooth unbroken surface between slots 40 so that the articles will be disposed well down in slots 40. Drum 39 at its ends is provided with reduced hubs 45, as seen in Figure 1. able material, such as wood, sheet metal or the like, may be used for forming drum 39.

Drum 3d is preferably formed of wood an prior to the insertion of member 33 in member I I an .ejector element 41 comprising a single Any suiti? strip of wire 48 bent to provide spaced hooklike portions 49 in its transversely extending portion 5I and offset leg portions 52 terminating in loops 53is placed in position with loops 53 loosely receiving hubs 45. Drum 39 with ejector element 41 in place is then inserted in member II and secured in a manner to be hereinafter described. Member 33 is then inserted in member II and portion 3B thereof forced around drum 39. Portions 34 and 38 are then weldedrat 58 to rear Y wall 53 and the rear of wall I2 to securely fasten member 33 in place.

It will be noted that member 33 is of slightly less `width than member I I and as a consequence a space 54 is provided between member 33 and and the walls I4 and I5 of member I I. Spaces 54 are designed to receive legs r52 of ejector 41, as seen in Figure 1. Hook-like portions 49 provide a receiver designed to catch the article dispensed by drum 39.

Chute 31, as seen in Figure 2, terminates at 59 approximately midway of slot I3 and legs 52 of ejector 41 extend through slot I3 on either side of chute 31 with hook portions' 49 disposed in front of wall I2. Member 33 between portions and 36 is provided with a downwardly curved portion 69 designed to cooperate with plate 21 and form a narrow opening for passage of said articles.

A suitable wood screw 6I is inserted through aperture I6 in wall I4 and threaded into the adjacent hub 45 of drum 39. An unthreaded portion 62 of a width corresponding to the thickness of wall I4 is provided on screw 6I. kPortion 62 provides a bearing surface for engagement with the wall of aperture I6. A stud 63 having an unthreaded portion 64 providing a bearing surface for engagement with aperture I6 of wall I5 is threaded into the other hub 45 of drum 39. A knob 65 is threaded on the other end of stud 63 the knob being disposed on the outside of body member II and serving as the means for rotating drum 39 in dispensing the articles from dispenser IIl. The threads on screw 6I and stud 63 are preferably all right-hand threads so that the rotation of drum 39 by means of knob 65 tends to moresecurely embed the screw and stud in the hubs 45 and knob 65. y

The lowermost end 66 of plate 21 is provided with a tab 61 and is designed to engage the periphery of drum 39. End 66 of plate 21 also extends below return curved portion 60 of member 33 to provide a supply aperture 69 designed to supply articles singly to slots 49 of drum 39. From an inspection of Figure 2, it will be seen that aperture 69 is disposed below portion 6D at one side of drum 39. As a consequence the weight of the articles in dispenser I0 is prevented from acting upon the article in aperture 69 and as a result the supply of a single article to slot VIl!) is assured.

A cup-like cover 1I is provided for closing the Y top of member I I after the articles are deposited in member II.

Toothpicks or other similar articles are placed in dispenser I9 by removing cover 1I. The articles are placed in dispenser I9 with their longitudinal axes disposed transversely of member 33 and their ends slightly spaced inwardly of walls I4 and I5. It will be clear that the articles will pass into the space 'I2 between member 33 and plate 21 and-that a single article will be received in aperture V69 which is of sufficient size to receive only one article. Upon rotation of drum 39, end 66 of plate 21 will drop into one of the slots 4I) and the article in aperture 69 will beV supplied to slot 40. vTab 61 then cams end 66 of plate 21 out of the slot leaving the article therein.

At the same time plate 21 will be vibrated, due to the movement ofrend 66 into and out of slot 40. This vibration will prevent the arching` of the articles abo-ve aperture 69 and cause the articles to be properly aligned with aperture 69` due to their passage over corrugations 32.

As rotation of drum 39 is continued the article in slot is carried around with'drum 39 and held in slot 40 due to the close fit of portion 36 of member 33 with respect to the periphery of drum 39. At the same timethe ends of the article in slot 40 which extend beyond the ends of drum 39 will be brought into engagement with legs 13 of loops 53 and forced out of or ejected from slot 40 as the slot clears portion 36 of member 33. The ejection of the article from slot 40 deposits the article upon chute 31. The article then passes along chute 31 under influencev of gravity and out through slot I3 into the receiver formed by hooks 49 of ejector 41.

The invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and lnot restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by theforegoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency Yof the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent iszl. An article dispenser comprising a housing for receiving articles to be dispensed; a dispensing drum rotatably supported insaid housing; a partition secured to opposite walls of said housing and sloping from one of said walls to said drum and from said drum to said other wall, said rst mentioned sloping portion ex tending over said drum to support the articles above said drum and having a circular portion between said sloping portions for surrounding a portion of said drum and retaining the articles ing and said second mentioned sloping portionr terminates at said opening to provide a discharge chute.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said plate is secured adjacent the top of said housing and comprises a corrugated spring metal plate extending downwardly to a point below and adjacent said rst mentioned portion of said partition to provide an article supply aperture at a point unaffected by the weight of the articles in-said dispenser. Y

4.'A dispenser for use in dispensing rod-like articles comprising a container for said articles, a discharge chute in said'container, meansrfor selecting one of said articles and discharging it into said chute, a combined ejector and receiving receptacle consisting of a length ofwire having spaced hook shaped elements intermediate its ends forming a receptacle for said discharged tion of said means and operating to eject said articles from said means.

5. A dispenser for use in dispensing rod-like articles comprising an elongated box-like body having a transverse discharge opening in one of its Walls adjacent the bottom thereof, a partition member having one end secured adjacent the top of the wall opposite said rst mentio-ned Wall, said partition sloping toward the center of said body and having a downwardly curved portion near the center of said body and a substantially circular portion underlying said curved portion and terminating in a discharge chute, a spring metal plate secured to said rst mentioned wall of said body adjacent the top thereof, said plate having transverse corrugations therein and a tip disposed below said curved portion of said partition,l said partition and said plate cooperating to support said articles in said body and provide a supply opening below said curved portion and between said curved portion and said tip whereby an article supplied to said opening is relieved of substantially all down- Ward pressure of said supported articles, a dispensing drum engaging said tip and having transverse slots for receiving an article from said supply opening, means for rotating said drum to cause said slots to engage said tip to vibrate said plate and cause an article to fall from said supply opening into said slot and be carried around in said slot with its ends protruding beyond the ends of said slot, an ejector comprising wire loops disposed adjacent the ends of said slots for engaging the ends of said article and forcing it out of said slot onto said chute after said article reaches the end of said circular portion and spaced wire hooks integral With said loops disposed outside of said body and adjacent said discharge opening for receiving said article from said chute.

6. A dispenser for use in dispensing rod-like articles comprising an open ended sheet metal housing having a discharge opening; a partition member diagonally disposed in said housing and providing a supporting portion, a circular guiding portion and a discharge chute; a dispensing drum disposed in said guiding portion with a portion of said supporting portion extending completely over said drum; a vibrator plate disposed in said housing and having' one end engaging said drum below said extending portion of said supporting portion; means for rotating said drum to vibrate said plateand supply articles to said drum and discharge articles from said drum to said chute; and alone piece wire member having loops adjacent said drum for ejecting articles from said drum and spaced hook shaped elements adjacent said discharge opening and outside of said housing for receiving articles from said chute.

ERIC M. ILSEMANN. 

